VGW Blog

Did you hit the snooze this morning? Reach for the coffee? Skip breakfast? If this were “How to Wake Up 101,” you’d fail.

But don’t let that keep you up at night. Sleep patterns – and, on the flip side, waking up habits – are “highly trainable, for good or for bad,” says Michael Grandner, a psychiatry instructor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies sleep, its health effects and the factors that influence how we do it.

Here’s how to conquer seven common mistakes – and wake up like a pro:

Mistake No. 1: You get ready in the dark.

Rise and shine! No, really. Taking in a hefty dose of sunshine first thing in the morning can help you wake up “because your body’s internal clock is sensitive to light and darkness,” says Natalie Dautovich, the National Sleep Foundation’s environmental scholar. She recommends opening the curtains or eating breakfast on a sunny porch. “Exercising outside could also be an exhilarating way to cue your brain that it’s time to start the day,” she says.

If you wake up before dawn or to gray skies, Grandner suggests turning on a very strong light, such as those used to treat seasonal affective disorder. And the earlier you wake up, the less bright the light needs to be. “You get more bang for your buck with the light the earlier it is,” he says.

Mistake No. 2: You succumb to the “sleep inertia” trap.

Some call it “the snooze button.” Grandner calls it “the sleep inertia trap.” Either way, the message is the same: You snooze, you lose.

“When you first wake up, you have that sensation of wanting to fall back asleep and feeling very sluggish and cloudy and that’s sleep inertia – it’s a normal process that helps protect your sleep” throughout the night, he says. “The problem is, in the morning, it can be very, very difficult to overpower that and actually get out of bed when you want to.”

But stay strong: Hitting the snooze will only make it worse, Dautovich says. “Post-snooze sleep isn’t high quality and leaves you feeling more tired – not to mention, rushed,” she says. Instead, set your alarm later. Better yet, get a full night’s sleep and avert the need to use an alarm altogether. “You’ll feel most alert if you wake up without an electronic aid,” Dautovich says.

Mistake No. 3: Your motto is “coffee first.”

You say you can’t function without coffee? You’re underestimating yourself, Grandner says. “A lot of times people are drinking caffeine to wake up in the morning, but that’s going to happen naturally,” thanks to movement, light and time, he says.

A.M. coffee cravers also overestimate the power of caffeine. The stimulant works partly by blocking the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical that mirrors the natural drive to sleep over the day, Grandner says. Since the chemical is in short supply in the morning, you’re better off saving your cup of Joe until you get to work or later, when your body has built up enough adenosine for the caffeine to work its magic.

“[People] start training themselves that they need the caffeine to wake up which isn’t actually biologically true,” he says. “It’s really just a matter of sleep inertia fading away.”

She suggests a meal with plenty of fiber and protein, such as whole-grain toast with peanut butter or oatmeal with a hard-boiled egg. And be wary of breakfasts high in unsaturated fat, magnesium and potassium, which promote sleep, she says.

A bonus? Breakfast might also help you lose weight. A 2013 study found that overweight and obese women who morning-loaded their calories lost more weight and inches of their waists than counterparts who ate more calories at dinner but the same amount overall.

Mistake No. 5: You don’t wind down the night before.

If you frequently tuck into bed with a tired body but a racing mind, ask yourself this: Did you take some time to relax? Working, cleaning or even watching TV up until the minute you crash means that lights out is “your mind’s first chance to wind down without any distractions,” Grandner says. That can cause you to misjudge how long you’re actually sleeping – and wake up groggy. “You have to give yourself enough time in order to use your sleep to your maximum benefit,” he says.

And don’t think you’re doing yourself any favors by multitasking in bed, Grandner adds. Using the bed for anything other than what it’s made for will only make sleeping – and getting up – that much harder. “You train yourself to be awake in bed,” he says.

Mistake No. 6: You don’t sleep long or well enough.

Cue Captain Obvious: If you’re not sleeping the expert-recommended seven to nine hours each night, it’s going to be tough to wake up. But, since a 2013 Gallup poll found that 40 percent of Americans get less than seven hours, it must be said. “People starve themselves of sleep all the time,” Grandner says.

Getting quality sleep is just as important. The National Sleep Foundation suggests avoiding daytime naps and evening doses of caffeine, alcohol and heavy food. It’s also important to stick to a consistent bedtime, even on the weekends, Dautovich says. “That way, your body’s internal clock will get accustomed to a regular bedtime, which will help you fall asleep better at night and wake up more easily each morning.”

Mistake No. 7: You don’t seek help.

If you’re sleeping long, deep hours, and still frequently waking up tired, “that’s a clue that something is happening during your sleep that is keeping it shallow,” Grandner says. The most common culprits are chronic pain – “you know it if you have it,” he says – and sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that affects more than 18 million Americans, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Scheduling an appointment with a sleep specialist can help diagnose and treat such conditions – and help you wake up feeling alive. But taking that first step is key. “A lot of people who have daytime sleepiness have sleep-related breathing disorders and have no idea,” Grandner says.

On average, mortgage payments are the single largest source of personal debt. In the event of a passing, Mortgage Protection Insurance can be paid to your surviving family to pay off the balance of a mortgage.

If need be, the death benefit can also be used by the family (or beneficiaries) for funeral costs or other pressing debts and bills. Funeral expenses cost an average of $10,000 and can be an enormous financial strain when a family is also responsible for a mortgage payment and other daily expenses.

WHY IS MORTGAGE PROTECTION INSURANCE SO IMPORTANT?

Unfortunately fatal accidents can happen to anyone at any time. An unexpected death and loss of income can put families through great emotional and financial hardship. Mortgage Protection Insurance can provide a small comfort to those grieving by granting them financial security.

Having this coverage in place would allow your family the proper time to grieve without the added stress of arranging funds for various final expenses and bills. You can give your family the protection they deserve and peace of mind for yourself by ensuring they will be taken care of during a difficult time.

Please feel free to call or e-mail us to obtain a free quote and discuss the best options for you. We look forward to helping your family develop a plan that fits your coverage and budget needs.

Just as tax season gets underway in earnest, the Internal Revenue Service put out a warning about what it called dangerous, evolving W-2 scams that are targeting corporations, school districts and other public and private concerns. The IRS noted too that during tax season, it generally sees a surge in scam phone calls that threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocation and other things. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) reports they have become aware of over 10,000 victims who have collectively paid over $54 million because of phone scams since October 2013.

Phishing scams are not always after money – sometimes, they’re after personally identifiable information. The International Revenue Service has issued a warning, alerting companies that W-2 email phishing scams are on the rise and are targeting businesses, nonprofit organizations and schools.

“This is one of the most dangerous email phishing scams we’ve seen in a long time. It can result in the large-scale theft of sensitive data that criminals can use to commit various crimes, including filing fraudulent tax returns. We need everyone’s help to turn the tide against this scheme,’’ said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen in a statement. “Taxpayers should avoid opening surprise emails or clicking on web links claiming to be from the IRS. Don’t be fooled by unexpected emails about big refunds, tax bills or requesting personal information. That’s not how the IRS communicates with taxpayers.”

Organizations receiving a W-2 scam email should forward it to phishing@irs.gov and place “W2 Scam” in the subject line. Organizations that receive the scams or fall victim to them should file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3,) operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This tax season, employers must be vigilant about protecting their employees’ personally identifiable information.

Here are some best practices employers can follow:

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Do not release W-2 or other personally identifiable information on any employee or group of employees without first validating the legitimacy of the request

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When validating the request, do not simply reply to the email or accept a phone call at face value. If you reply to the email or call a telephone number in the email, you are likely confirming the request with the impostor!

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Confirm the request with an in-person conversation or by calling the requestor via a telephone number included within a corporate phone directory.

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If information is released in error, contact experienced legal counsel and notify your insurance carrier immediately.

Instead of giving up your favorite activities to slave away at a gym, try these ways to mix real fun with real fitness.

By Charlotte Hilton Andersen

Gameshow with a twist

The only thing more fun that watching Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune, and owning your friends with your impressive knowledge of trivia and statistics is making your friends do funny things when they lose. Next time you’re playing along at home, work out with your friends by making a fitness “bet” on the game. Whoever get the right answer first gets to challenge the rest of the group to a round of push-ups, sit-ups, or a dash around the house. And make no mistake, those few minutes can add up to a good workout. Several bursts of high-intensity exercise lasting as little as two minutes can give you an all-day metabolic boost, according to a study done by the American Physiological Society.

Brunch al fresco

A decadent brunch is a weekend staple, but all those omelettes and mimosas can add up. Help your waistline and keep the conversation going by packing some of your favorite dishes (or getting them to go) and walking to a local park for a picnic. In addition to the extra calories you’ll burn getting there, simply being outside in nature has a host of health benefits. Just five minutes of walking outdoors can boost your mood, raise your immune system, and give you an overall sense of well-being, according to a study published in Environmental Science & Technology.

Bar crawl with a ball

Take your typical weekend bar meet-up to the next level by moving it to the bar…at the local bowling alley. The combination of beers, bowling balls, and bumpers (they’re totally allowed!) will keep you moving and laughing, not to mention supplying you with hilarious stories for future get-togethers. Plus bowling burns 150 to 250 calories for every 30 minutes of play.

Progressive dinner

Have you ever gone to a restaurant that has the most amazing appetizers but their dessert selection is lacking? Or the wine menu is stellar but you don’t love the entre choices? Solve your palette problems and sneak in a little exercise by turning your date-night dinner into a progressive dinner. Start with happy hour appetizers at your favorite taphouse, walk to a nearby restaurant for tapas, stop by a bakery or ice creamery for a sweet treat, and end with a stroll in the evening air for a night cap. Bonus: Walking on cobblestone, brick, or other uneven surfaces not only gives you a cardiovascular workout but also improves your balance and coordination in ways walking on a treadmill or track can’t, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Board games, not bored games

Game night is a classic cold-weather activity. Keep yours interesting and healthy by mixing in some physical games along with the table games. Play a round of cards and then take a break for Just Dance, Twister, or combine both wits and fitness with a game of truth or dare with the “dares” being physical. Not convinced? Active video games can be just as beneficial as more conventional types of moderate intensity exercise, like walking, according to a study done by the University of Oklahoma Health Services Center.

See the show, be the show

Nothing will heighten your appreciation for the skill it takes to put on a live show like trying it yourself. Watch a Cirque du Soleil performance and then try out a circus class with your friends. Or for a less acrobatic option, take an improv class before watching an improv comedy show. You’d be amazed at how many calories you can burn laughing!

Club on wheels

Dancing in the club can be fantastic exercise—as long as you’re actually dancing and not propping up the wall. But if clubs or public dancing make you nervous, consider hitting up disco night at the local skating rink. It’s a much more casual atmosphere and many roller skating rinks now offer adults-only nights with themes, food, and music. You’ll put the roll into rock-n-roll!

A concert with a kick

Amp up your concert-going experience by checking out an outdoor musical festival. You’ll get to appreciate a variety of great music while upping your daily step count walking around the venue. And the stroll may even help you appreciate the music even more. In a study from Ohio State University, adding physical activity to the listening experience gave participants a cognitive brain and mood boost.

Movie night madness

At your next at-home movie night, swap out the drinking game for a friendly fitness challenge. Just like you would for a traditional drinking game, make a bingo card with the words, phrases, scenes, or actors to look for. Then, every time one of them happens, instead of doing a shot, do a burpee. You’ll still get to get your Netflix on and have fun with friends while sneaking in some moves.

Barbecue with a side of lawn games

Nothing goes better together than grills and grass, so make your next backyard barbecue even better with lawn games. You can stick with your childhood favorites like cornhole, ladderball, or lawn darts. Pick teams and play a round or two of volleyball or badminton. Or go big with giant lawn games like life-sized Jenga, chess, or tic-tac-toe. Kids and grown-ups alike will love playing so much they won’t even notice the calories they’re burning.

From the day an entrepreneur starts a business, he exposes himself to certain risks. Even before the first employee is hired, a business is at risk, making it important to have the right insurance in place. One lawsuit or catastrophic event could be enough to wipe out a small business before it even has a chance to get off the ground.

Fortunately, businesses have access to a wide range of insurance types to protect them against these dangers. Here are some insurance types that a business must have in place as soon as possible.

1. Professional liability insurance.

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, covers a business against negligence claims due to harm that results from mistakes or failure to perform. There is no one-size-fits-all policy for professional liability insurance. Each industry has its own set of concerns that will be addressed in a customized policy written for a business.

2. Property insurance.

Whether a business owns or leases its space, property insurance is a must. This insurance covers equipment, signage, inventory and furniture in the event of a fire, storm or theft. However, mass-destruction events like floods and earthquakes are generally not covered under standard property insurance policies. If your area is prone to these issues, check with your insurer to price a separate policy.

3. Workers’ compensation insurance.

Once the first employee has been hired, workers’ compensation insurance should be added to a business’s insurance policy. This will cover medical treatment, disability and death benefits in the event an employee is injured or dies as a result of his work with that business. Even if employees are performing seemingly low-risk work, slip-and-fall injuries or medical conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome could result in a pricey claim.

4. Home-based businesses.

Many professionals begin their small businesses in their own homes. Unfortunately, homeowner’s policies don’t cover home-based businesses in the way commercial property insurance does. If you’re operating your business out of your home, ask your insurer for additional insurance to cover your equipment and inventory in the event of a problem.

5. Product liability insurance.

If your business manufactures products for sale on the general market, product liability insurance is a must. Even a business that takes every measure possible to make sure its products are safe can find itself named in a lawsuit due to damages caused by one of its products. Product liability insurance works to protect a business in such a case, with coverage available to be tailored specifically to a specific type of product.

6. Vehicle insurance.

If company vehicles will be used, those vehicles should be fully insured to protect businesses against liability if an accident should occur. At the very least, businesses should insure against third-party injury, but comprehensive insurance will cover that vehicle in an accident, as well. If employees are using their own cars for business, their own personal insurance will cover them in the event of an accident. One major exception to this is if they are delivering goods or services for a fee. This includes delivery personnel.

7. Business interruption insurance.

If a disaster or catastrophic event does occur, a business’s operations will likely be interrupted. During this time, your business will suffer from lost income due to your staff’s inability to work in the office, manufacture products or make sales calls. This type of insurance is especially applicable to companies that require a physical location to do business, such as retail stores. Business interruption insurance compensates a business for its lost income during these events.

By having the right insurance in place, a business can avoid a major financial loss due to a lawsuit or catastrophic event. Check with your insurer to find out what forms of insurance are advised for your type of business and put those plans in place as soon as possible.

Here are the rules: We’ve all been at zero and even below zero several times, we’ve battled back a few times, and then we did it again and believe or not, again. We’ve all started new jobs and new careers. Sometimes because our interests and what we thought we wanted changed. A few times because all bridges had been burned beyond repair and almost always because we desperately needed money.

People who knew you back in those days, don’t know you at all today. And so it goes.

Here we are again, saying goodbye to one year and starting a new year, which is the perfect time to change and become a new person financially. A critical first step is to increase your financial knowledge and get your personal finances on track. Whether you feel like you are on track to meet your goals or need a little extra boost to get on track, mark each of these items off your 2017 checklist to ensure a successful year.

Emergency Fund

Life happens quickly, and an emergency can quickly crush a bank account if not prepared for. Start your 2017 right by looking at your emergency fund. If you don’t have one, start one immediately! If you don’t think you need an emergency fund, you are wrong. You never know when an emergency could happen.

Ideally, everyone should have at least 3 to 6 months of expenses saved in an emergency fund that you can easily access. Cars break down, furnaces die and hot water heaters stop working. Also, job security is not what it once was. Mass layoffs these days have become more commonplace, and thinking you’ll have your job until you are ready to retire some day in the future is a big gamble.

Store the emergency fund in a high-yield savings account so you are not tempted to touch it on a rainy day. Online banks and credit unions typically offer the best savings account rates. Don’t leave your family’s livelihood to chance.

Employer 401(k) Match

Most large employers offer a 401(k) plan, which helps you save for retirement. Social security benefits will probably not be the same as today when you retire, so it is important to save for ourselves in addition to social security.

If your employer offers a 401(k) match, make sure you are taking 100% advantage. If you are not, you are leaving free money on the table! Large companies typically offer 3% to 6% of your annual salary as a match when you contribute to your 401(k). Don’t leave that money behind!

In addition to free money, your 401(k) offers a chance to save for retirement while saving on taxes. 401(k) contributions are pre-tax, and you don’t pay income taxes on those earnings. Instead, you pay income taxes when you withdraw during retirement, presumably at a lower tax rate than you pay today.

Automated IRA Investing

After you have an emergency fund saved and are taking advantage of your employer’s 401(k) match, the next place to focus on your savings is your Individual Retirement Account, or IRA.

There are two types of IRA accounts. Younger investors do best saving with a Roth IRA, while those nearing retirement do best with a traditional IRA. A traditional IRA uses pre-tax dollars like a 401(k). A Roth IRA uses after-tax dollars, which means you pay taxes on your income when you earn it, but do not pay taxes on funds when you withdraw during retirement.

Debt Freedom Autopilot

Do you have student loans, a car loan, or credit card debt? It is time to focus on steps to get out of debt. These types of loans steal from your income each month without any benefit. Interest charges on credit cards are often in excess of 20%. Wrangle your debt and stop giving away your hard-earned money so you can save, invest and spend it on you and your family.

The best method to get out of debt quickly is to follow the “debt snowball” or “debt avalanche” methods popularized by personal finance guru Dave Ramsey. With a debt snowball, borrowers are encouraged to pay off accounts with the lowest balance first, making increasingly larger payments to each account until your debt is cleared. A debt avalanche instead focuses on paying highest interest debt accounts first, then working down the list.

Technology can be your friend. You can create recurring automatic payments through your bank’s website to make payments each payday, once a month or whatever makes the most sense for you. If you get a bonus at work, a tax refund or other lump income, put that toward your debt payoff and get yourself out of debt for good!

If you are brand new to budgeting, there are financial web based options and free apps designed to make getting out of debt as painless as possible. The most popular free option is web based Mint.com. Other good options include “You Need a Budget” and “Quicken”.

Build a Budget

Saving for retirement, getting out of debt and achieving financial independence only work if you have the cash to save and can make extra debt payments. If you find yourself continuing to live paycheck to paycheck and struggling to manage competing financial priorities, it’s time to put together a budget.

Budgeting doesn’t have to be scary, difficult or painful experience. Instead, look at it like creating a detailed map for your spending. You know where your money will go over the next month so you won’t spend it somewhere else.

Life Insurance

Getting your finances in order will pay dividends for the rest of your life. Just as important, it creates a security net to protect yourself and your family from unexpected financial emergencies. The lynchpin in your family’s financial safety net is life insurance. If you have no idea how much life insurance you need, you’re not alone. Most people have no clue how much life insurance or what type of life insurance they need.

Term life insurance is life insurance that covers the insured individual for a specific period of time. If the insured dies at any time during the term, the entire policy value is paid out to the named beneficiaries. At the end of the initial term period (typically 10, 15, 20, 25, 30-year term periods), the term life insurance policy premiums increase annually thereafter.

Policy values are flexible to meet both your budget and family’s needs. Whether you want to leave your family with $50,000, $1,000,000, or even more, you can make it happen with term life insurance. And life insurance costs a lot less than you might think!

Life insurance is a critical piece of any successful financial plan as it’s designed to protect your family and loved one’s in the event of your untimely death. If you were to unexpectedly pass away today, would your family be able to survive without your monthly paychecks? If someone relies on you financially then, you absolutely need to consider the benefits of term life insurance.

It only takes a few minutes to apply, and it protects your family for a lifetime.

Cold water can kill you in less than a minute. It’s actually so dangerous that it kills a lot of people within seconds. Thousands of people have drowned after falling into cold water and a lot of them died before they even had a chance to reach the surface.

That’s a scientific and medical fact that most people have trouble understanding – because they have no personal experience actually being in cold water. When they hear or think about 50F (10C) water, it doesn’t sound particularly cold – or dangerous – because they’re mentally comparing it to 50F (10C) air. It’s a big mistake that gets a lot of people killed each year. This is explained in much greater detail in the section Why Cold Water is Dangerous.

You should treat any water temperature below 70F with caution.

Water Temperature Safety GuideBelow 77F (25C)Breathing begins to be affected.

This is why the official water temperature required for Olympic swimming competition is 77-82F (25-28C).

70-60F (21-15C) DangerousControlling your breathing and holding your breath becomes progressively more difficult as water temperature falls as water temperature falls from 70°F to 60°F (21°C to 15°C).

True or False: You don’t need thermal protection when the water temperature is above 60F (15C).
False. You should certainly be wearing a wetsuit or drysuit below 60F, however, 60F (15C) is not the temperature at which most people should start wearing thermal protection.

Fact: Cold shock is as extreme between 50-60F (10-15C) as it is at 35F (2C).
Most people who are unaccustomed to cold water will experience a maximum cold shock response somewhere between 50-60F (10-15C). For some individuals, this happens at 57F (14C), for others, the peak occurs at 52F (11C) and so on.

This means that an unprotected immersion in this temperature range will cause most people to completely lose control of their breathing – they will be gasping and hyperventilating as hard and fast as they can.

Since cold shock reaches its maximum intensity between 50-60F (10-15C), it can’t get any more intense at lower water temperatures. In other words, breathing control, once completely lost, cannot be lost to a greater degree.

Below 40F (5C) Very Dangerous/Immediately Life-threatening Total loss of breathing control. Unable to control gasping and hyperventilation. Water feels painfully cold.

Below 40F (4.5C), water is so painfully cold that it often feels like it’s burning your skin. For many people, the notorious “ice cream headache” can be triggered simply by water touching your face. Even though cold shock is no more intense than it was between 50-60F (10-15C), the severe pain makes a desperate situation even worse because it greatly increases your psychological stress. Clear thinking becomes almost impossible.

See for Yourself
If you’re in good physical shape and feeling adventurous, a very memorable way to find out about cold water is by conducting a personal experiment. First, make sure the tap water is as cold as it will get by running the faucet for a minute or two, then fill a glass and measure the temperature.

When you’re feeling brave, get in the shower and turn it on full blast. No shower? No problem. Have a friend spray you with cold water from a garden hose while you’re wearing a bathing suit.

Warning: Don’t try this unless you’re completely healthy because the shock of cold water hitting your skin will cause an immediate, and often dramatic, increase in your blood pressure and heart rate. If there’s any doubt in your mind, check with your doctor

70F(21C) Water feels quite cold to most people. Treat any water temperature below 70F (21C) with caution.

40F(4.4C) or lower Water is painfully cold.

Different Strokes
Most people unfamiliar with cold water find 70F (21C) to be quite cold. On the other hand, a competitive open-water swimmer who is used to swimming in 55F (13C) water will probably think that 70F (21C) doesn’t feel very cold at all. What’s important to your safety is how you personally respond to cold water.

Acclimation and body fat can make a significant difference in how someone responds to cold water.Acclimation is a process by which your body gradually adapts itself to cold water through repeated exposure. Through acclimation, it’s possible to improve circulation to the hands during cold water immersion, and to greatly reduce or eliminate cold shock.

Body fat is an excellent insulator. Seals, whales, and other warm-blooded aquatic mammals have a lot of this insulating fat – called blubber – which enables them to keep warm while swimming in cold oceans.

Because fat provides insulation from the cold, it can delay incapacitation and hypothermia and also improve physical stamina in the water. Repeated exposure to even cool water increases the layer of fat directly under the skin surface (subcutaneous fat).

You can easily see this body fat difference by comparing the physical appearance of Olympic swimmers and runners. Swimmers have a lot of subcutaneous fat and a sleek, streamlined look. Runners have very little fat and more obvious muscle definition.

Acclimation reduces the intensity of cold shock

Acclimation does not protect you against incapacitation, swimming failure and hypothermia.

A Very Remarkable Swim
An excellent example of how body fat can prolong cold water survival is the remarkable case of Icelandic fisherman Gudlaugur Fridthorsson. On a cold night in March, 1984, Fridthorsson was working on a 75 foot (23 meter) commercial fishing vessel when her nets snagged on the ocean bottom and she capsized three miles off the rugged coast of Heimaey Island.

Although he wasn’t a particularly good swimmer, Fridthorsson swam for six hours in 41-43F (5-6C) water before reaching shore. He was the sole survivor of the five-man crew. How in the world did he do it? In a word, he was obese. At 6’4′ and 275 lbs, he had a chart-busting BMI in excess of 30. His physique was similar to a seal’s.

Portable fire extinguishers can save lives and property when a small, contained fire breaks out in your home or business. But different types of fire extinguishers fight different types of fire – and using the wrong one may make the fire worse. Would you know which to use? The following information can help you be better prepared in case of a fire.

Use the Right Fire Extinguisher for the Fire

There are five classes of fire that could break out, each involving a different material. Determine what type of fire extinguisher you own ahead of time by looking for the symbol on the label and matching it to one of the descriptions below. Many homes and businesses use multipurpose fire extinguishers that are good for three classes of fires – A, B and C. If you already own a fire extinguisher, check the label to see what class of fire it is good for. Be on the lookout for these standard symbols. If you see a red slash through a picture, it means that the extinguisher should not be used on that class of fire.

Fight or Flee

Once you know what type of fire extinguisher to use, you will need to understand when to use it. You may only have moments to use it properly since small fires can grow into large ones in a matter of seconds. If you are not sure whether it is safe to fight the fire, you should leave the scene, call 911 and let the fire department control it

Of course, you would never let your tank get so low that the little light popped on warning you that you should really, really refuel, but if you did, this chart outlines exactly how much further you can expect to go on what little is left in the tank.

The chart, from YourMechanic, doesn’t specify every vehicle, just some 2015 models of commonly purchased consumer vehicles on the roads—but you can likely extrapolate what this might mean for your ride if it’s not represented in the chart. The numbers vary a bit, but you can probably expect to get anywhere from another 30 miles in some economy sedans to a full 90-plus in bigger SUVs and crossovers with larger tanks.

Does that mean you should risk it and drive that far? Of course not—it’s good to know, especially if you’re in unfamiliar territory and have an idea of when you’ll find another gas station, but it still means you should refuel at the next immediate opportunity, and don’t let it happen again. It’s also worth keeping in mind that running on low-or-practically-no fuel can damage your vehicle. Sometimes it’s a necessity and happens through no fault of your own, but personally I like to imagine the potential for sitting-in-the-car-for-hours gridlock on every trip I take, and have no desire to be one of those folks who has to abandon their car because a trip I should have been able to complete on a quarter tank went wrong and now I’m out of fuel.

The chart (sadly) isn’t in any particular order, but YourMechanic says this about the ones labeled N/A:

Here is the range for how many miles you can drive – as well as the point at which the warning light illuminates – for the 50 best-selling vehicle in the United States in 2015.

Note: For vehicles with “Not Available” listed for the point at which the warning light comes on, the light is triggered based on the distance to empty calculator having the listed number of miles remaining.

For more on this, on how trustworthy that fuel gauge really is, and other implications of driving on empty, check out the full Your Mechanic post linked below, which includes the chart below.